英語學習自我效能，閱讀焦慮，與閱讀能力：以非英語系主修的EFL學生為例

<p>這項研究主要調查台灣非英語系主修的大學生英語閱讀焦慮，英語自我效能以及閱讀能力等三者之間的關係。本研究對象為209名非英語系的大三學生。此次研究採用兩份問卷，外語閱讀焦慮問卷和英語學習自我效能問卷，以及多益閱讀測驗來了解這三項變數之間的關係。研究者在兩份問卷各加入開放式問題，以了解學習者對自身英語學習自我效能和英語閱讀焦慮的認知。結果顯示，學生英語學習自我效能與閱讀能力之間的關係呈正相關，但與英語閱讀焦慮之間則是負相關。另外，學生英語閱讀自我效能和英語學習自我效能呈現高度相關。然而，英語閱讀焦慮與不同程度的閱讀能力並無任何關聯。就閱讀焦慮的因素而言，大多數學生在閱讀陌生的詞彙和句子結構時都會經歷閱讀焦慮。學生英語學習自我效能越高者，在閱讀理解上的表現則愈佳。而閱讀能力在中間的學生，其英語學習自我效能和閱讀焦慮則呈現顯著差異的負相關。總而言之，這項研究增加對於非英語系主修學生在英語學習自我效能以及閱讀焦慮認知上的了解，以及這些因素在英語閱讀能力上產生的影響，同時提供語言教師非英語系主修學生的閱讀焦慮來源。教學建議則提供教師未來於課堂參考，以有效提升學生的英語學習自我效能及降低閱讀焦慮。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>EFL learners’ reading performances can be greatly influenced by affective factors, such as anxiety and self-efficacy. This study investigates the effects of non-English major EFL learners’ reading anxiety and overall-English-learning self-efficacy on their reading proficiency. 209 non-English majors participated in the study. Two questionnaires, the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale and the Questionnaire of English Self-Efficacy, and a TOEIC reading subtest were utilized to examine the relationship between the three variables. Open-ended questions at the end of two questionnaires were added to obtain learners’ perceptions of overall-English-learning self-efficacy and reading anxiety. Results showed that the relationship between overall-English-learning self-efficacy, reading self-efficacy, and reading proficiency was positive respectively whereas that between overall-English-learning self-efficacy and anxiety was negative, particularly for the students in the middle group. Reading anxiety, however, was not correlated with reading proficiency at different levels. Students had the highest level of reading self-efficacy when comparing to the self-efficacy of other language skills. They mostly experienced reading anxiety when reading unfamiliar vocabulary and sentence structures. To conclude, this study can be of importance in understanding the relationship between the three factors and provide language teachers with non-English major students’ sources of reading anxiety. Pedagogical implications are provided for language teachers’ future references.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Foreign Language Reading Comprehension in the Context of Internet Use

Reading comprehension is a complex mental performance of an individual, which is strongly influenced by the modern phenomenon of the use of the Internet. The main goal of the study is to examine the relationship between foreign language reading comprehension (in English and German) and the Internet use (time spent on the Internet, the Internet addiction). The results of the research confirmed negative relationship between the time spent online and reading comprehension in German. Internet addiction is positively correlated with reading comprehension in English, this relationship is influenced by demographic variables of students’ gender and the type of school attended.

Students' work with foreign language texts: formation of intercultural communication skills

Актуальность статьи обусловлена определением степени успешности существования человека в условиях увеличения информационного потока на глобальном, общемировом уровне. Поскольку современный человек не ограничен пространственным континуумом, ему часто приходится работать с оригинальным контентом, подготовленным представителем другой культуры, и от правильности его понимания зависит его профессиональная востребованность и конкурентоспособность. Цель статьи заключается в определении значения обучения чтению иноязычных текстов с позиции определения их значимости для формирования межкультурной компетенции обучающихся, будущих профессионалов. Авторами раскрыта методика адаптации культурологического содержания аутентичных текстов к собственному культурному пространству, которая заключается в поэтапной организации процесса обучения обучающихся чтению. Раскрыты этапы работы с аутентичными текстами. Статья предназначена для преподавателей иностранного языка, работающих в современных вузах. The relevance of the article is due to the determination of the success degree of human existence in the conditions of increasing information flow, at the global, international level. Since a modern person is not limited by a spatial continuum, one often has to work with original content prepared by a representative of another culture, and his professional relevance and competitiveness depend on the correctness of its understanding. The purpose of the article is to determine the importance of teaching foreign language reading from the position of determining its significance for the formation of intercultural competence of students, future professionals. The authors have formulated an understanding and revealed a methodology for adapting the culturological content of authentic texts to their own cultural space, which consists in a step-by-step organization of the process of teaching students to read. The stages of working with authentic texts are revealed. The article is intended for foreign language teachers working in modern universities.

The Complex Effects of Picturebooks on English as a Foreign Language Reading

While effects of picturebooks on reading were examined in higher grades (e.g., high school students) (Ajayi, 2009), little is known about the emerging English as Foreign Language (EFL) Kindergartens to 4th graders (i.e., K-4) students in China. Language institutes are critical phenomena for EFL K-4 education in China (Shi, 2019). Aiming to test the hypothesis that picturebooks have positive effects for reading, this study adopted within-subjects and between-subjects design to examine the effects of picturebooks on EFL reading comprehension of K-4 students in a language institute in China. Thirty-two participants were assigned into two groups to complete multiple choice and ordering tasks. The results showed that students reading with picturebooks outperformed in the two tasks than those who did not, especially on answering literal questions. With pedagogical implication as a goal, we suggest that EFL teachers need to (1) provide scaffoldings in class such as activating students’ prior knowledge, (2) make connections to students’ experience in the reading process. (3) select picturebooks considering the complex relationship between pictures and texts.

The underlying factors of foreign language reading anxiety: Their effects on strategy use and orientation toward reading

Both positive and negative emotions have been the focus of a wealth of language learning research in recent years. This can mostly be attributed to the established links between an individual’s psychological responses, existing and emerging from learning, the learning processes they engage in, and the outcomes they achieve. A look at advanced research on language anxiety, a negative emotion that appears to be strongly involved in learning, has shown that specific information about reading anxiety is comparatively insufficient. This study, therefore, examines the underlying factors of reading anxiety in Korean university students, using the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale. Subsequently, it explores how these anxiety factors are related to strategy use (i.e., metacognitive, cognitive, and support strategies) and orientation toward reading, which demonstrates a reader’s active involvement while reading. Three sub-factors of reading anxiety were found: anxiety experienced during the process of reading English, confidence in reading, and anxiety when reading English characters. Interestingly, confidence or positive emotion was found to be a far more powerful positive contributor to Korean EFL university readers’ use of metacognitive strategies and the degree of orientation to reading than was anxiety experienced while reading. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

Intervention in teaching reading in a foreign language:

Aim. The paper presents partial results of research aimed at the development of foreign language reading comprehension using the specially developed intervention programme. Concept. The English Reading Comprehension Intervention Program has been developed within the research project Support for reading literacy in the mother tongue and foreign language. It consists of 10 intervention units and is based on 10 identified predictors, the conscious development of which contributes to students’ success in reading comprehension. Methodology. Assumptions presented in the paper are based on the cognitive theory of learning, identifying which cognitive processes precede the predictors with the greatest share of influence, and which higher cognitive processes follow them. Based on these scientific hypotheses and research results, we have determined the predictors positively influencing reading comprehension and worth intervening in the process of development of reading comprehension.Results and conclusions. In the paper, the English Reading Comprehension Intervention Program for B1 level of language proficiency is introduced, with both the content and methodology of its class application described. The predictors of divergent thinking and ambiguity tolerance are discussed in detail as the presented example of the intervention unit is focused on their development. Originality. While intervention programmes are not a new phenomenon, the recently developed reading comprehension intervention programmes for foreign languages are a valuable contribution to teaching foreign language reading comprehension in primary and secondary schools. They provide foreign language teachers with ready-made materials, which can be immediately used in their classes and will contribute to better learning results of their students.